Captured
by BlindAvion55
Summary: Angered by Appa's escape, the sandbenders turn to the disadvantaged Toph and take her instead. Toph's stubborn and hardheaded character clashes with the strict Fire Nation when she is sold into slavery. Will she emerge as the same person, or a different one? How will this war affect her now?


**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I already told you, I don't wanna snuggle."

Appa shifted his weight and a deep grumble resonated from him. I sighed as I felt the loose grainy sand beneath my feet. It was frustrating, not being able to see as well. Nor did it help that it was about a thousand degrees in the desert. If there were real earth and rocks around, I could have at least made some sort of shelter to shield from the sun's rays. Or I could just simply bury my way underground and wait for Twinkle Toes and the others in a nice cool cave. I wonder how Appa can stand this heat. All that disgusting thick hair would have had me panting for water in a heartbeat.

Appa suddenly growled. He rose to his feet, causing me to fall backwards.

"Woah, hey!"

And then I felt it: great deep vibrations under the ground that even a blind non-bender could sense. I scrambled to my feet and felt the earth shake, or rather the library tremble. My heart nearly stopped and my fingertips grew cold.

"Library sinking... library sinking!"

What on earth did Twinkle Toes do now? I ran forward, careful to not trip over the sand dunes, and punched my fists into the stone spire. The crushing weight of the library nearly brought me to my knees. I dug my fingers further into the stone and twisted my hands to get a better grip, but nothing worked. My feet sank further and further into the sand, which only heightened my awareness of the rapidly sinking library.

_Dang it._

I withdrew my hands for a moment and quickly punched and twisted the sand beneath my feet, compressing and solidifying it into hard ground. I dug my fists back into the spire, but the better footing barely helped and I could only delay the sinking. Where was Aang, Katara, and Sokka? They must have run into trouble, or trouble ran into them. The desert heat seemed to have intensified and my breaths came out short and hot. My throat was parched and my arms trembled. They were sore and they ached from supporting the immense weight.

Behind me, Appa growled a warning at me. Yes, yes, I'm aware of the sinking library. Got anything else important to add? A blast of wind and sand suddenly hit us, and I tensed. I heard something approaching, though I didn't know what. I still could barely see and the library started to sink faster now that my attention was diverted.

"Who's there?" I cried out. I sensed several large blocks of wood heading towards Appa, but they were heavy and unfamiliar. Probably boats... sandbenders maybe? I groaned as I struggled to keep the library from disappearing. Dang it, where were they? They couldn't have wandered so far, I mean the library is huge, but c'mon! Maybe the trouble they ran into was more dangerous than I thought. Aang was the Avatar. He could handle himself. Katara was a capable waterbender: she could defend herself when she needed to. And Sokka... he's alright. Twinkle Toes and his sister would protect him.

I heard the high-pitched whistle of ropes slicing through the air. Appa roared angrily and the sound of ropes snapping filled the air.

The sandbenders were trying to capture him.

Cold dread washed over me and, in a moment of panic, I pulled back my fists and launched a desperate attack towards one set of footsteps. I missed though, and I heard the slice of sand cut through empty space. The library started to sink again and I dug my fists back into the structure.

"Dang it Appa, fly!" I practically screamed as my arms started to burn. "Get out of here you big furry beast! Go on, get!"

Appa roared and there were several cries of surprise as Appa stomped on the ground, kicking up sand. I heard him snarl at his attackers. I panted heavily and drew in a deep breath.

"Go... fly out of here!" I grunted. "Aang and the others will be fine... Stay... safe... They'll need you!"

I heard Appa cry out one more time before he flapped his tail and took off. Several yells of surprise and shock followed. I allowed a small smirk to stretch my mouth at the thought of sandbenders desperately clinging to rope still tied to Appa. I never liked flying; honestly, it was a nightmare. But Appa's departure quickly left my mind as the library started to sink again. Inch by inch, the desert started to swallow it. I didn't have the strength to hold it up anymore.

"Stupid brat!" Someone snarled. A thick piece of rope suddenly wrapped around my ankles and I cried out in surprise as I lost my footing and fell.

"Hey! What the-"

One of the sandbenders managed to coil rope around my feet. Dang it, feet on the ground means better bending.

I clawed and twisted at the sand as I tried to create then grip onto a better compacted ground. I twisted and yelled in panic as I heard, and felt, the library quickly vanishing beneath the sand. I grabbed clumps of sand in my fists and threw them at the direction of the sandbenders. Several of them hissed in anger and I heard someone run towards me.

Something hard slammed into my right hand though, crushing my fingers. Sharp pain erupted and I bit my lip so as to not scream. My heart nearly stopped before beating twice as hard and my hand throbbed painfully before it subsided into a dull ache. I cradled it close to my chest, not caring at the moment that I was being dragged away. My breaths came out thin and the desert seemed to get impossibly hotter. A wave of nausea overcame me. I was barely aware of the ropes wounding around me, tying and immobilizing me.

"Let go of me, you stu-!" Another thick rope was shoved into my mouth, cutting my words off. Gritty, coarse hands grabbed and lifted me into the air, completely cutting off my sight. I screamed and yelled into the rope angrily, but they didn't hear me. They threw me against something hard and wooden and I fell on my hand. A spasm of pain of pain ripped through it, causing me to shudder involuntarily. The bones felt out of place Someone grumbled angrily before aiming a kick at my stomach. I recoiled and exhaled angrily through my nose. The fruit smoothie I drank before going into the dessert threatened to surface as another wave of nausea hit me.

"Calm down," someone else said quietly. It's a good thing I have better hearing than most people. It makes up for my lost sight. "The wind buffalo escaped, but at least we got the girl. She's an earthbender, and a powerful one if she managed to keep that tower from sinking. She'll be worth mountains of gold on the black market. Now let's get out of here."

The wind blew grains of sand into my eyes and I closed them shut. There was a thick lump in my throat. My hand had gone numb and I was afraid I lost all feeling from it. At least Appa escaped, but Aang, Katara... and Sokka... They had needed me, and I failed them. I killed them. Not only Sokka and Katara, but Aang, the Avatar. How could the world survive now? It can't, not with the Avatar gone. The war was over. The Fire Nation won... I failed _everyone_, even my own parents_..._

_I'm sorry Aang, Katara... Sokka._


End file.
